Treasure Coast Equine Emergency Services

04/29/2026

Heads up, Palm City and surrounding areas!

Summer is HERE!

Please watch your oldies, your long haired dudes (why haven’t you clipped them yet!!??), and your non-sweaters.

Breathing fast is a sign of heat stress - they are panting.

Keep these guys inside under during the day or provide lots of shade, and hose off multiple times during the hottest part of the day.

Watch manure production.

Make sure water troughs are clean and fresh.

04/12/2026

Three guesses as to what I’m about to say…

Get it yet?

Clip your horses
Keep them under fans
Hose if hot (breathing fast)
Fans fans fans

Huge heat wave coming this week. 193 possible records will break for eastern US, as high pressure stays locked in. Florida is part of this. Next Saturday for example here could see widespread 90s. Even upper 90s in many spots! First day of Summer is June 21st BTW.

04/01/2026

🚨 INTRODUCING: The Dr. Vander Werf Preventative Presence™ 🚨

Have you ever noticed…
Your horse is definitely colicking…
Definitely dying…
Definitely requires an emergency call…

…and then I show up and they’re like:
👀 “Oh hey doc, I’m totally fine now.”

Cool. Cool cool cool.

Well GOOD NEWS — we’ve finally figured out the solution.

🐴✨ Now available for purchase:
A life-size cardboard cutout of Dr. Vander Werf

Simply place it outside your horse’s stall at the first sign of nonsense and watch the magic happen:
✔️ Colic? Gone.
✔️ Lameness? Resolved.
✔️ Dramatic rolling for attention? Immediately cured.
✔️ “I swear he was just dying 5 minutes ago”? Miraculously normal.

💉 Comes fully equipped (printed, of course) with:
- Stethoscope
- Nasogastric tube
- 12 mL syringe of “Banamine”
- The unmistakable look of “I drove all the way here for THIS?”

💰 Only $49.99 + tax
(ER call avoidance not guaranteed… but let’s be honest, it kinda is 😏)

⚠️ Side effects may include:
- Sudden return to normal vital signs
- Owners second-guessing their life choices
- Horses acting personally offended by your concern

📦 Limited supply available (because apparently I can’t clone myself… yet)

Comment “CUTOUT” below to reserve yours before your horse decides to have an emergency at 2am this weekend.

03/29/2026

We are incredibly lucky that we have so many equine vets in our area and referral hospitals (more than one!) within an hour or two of most of the Treasure Coast.

Fewer than 4,000 equine veterinarians serve the entire U.S., and in 23 states, there are fewer than 60.

A recent EquiManagement feature dives into the realities of rural equine practice: solo “road warrior” vets driving hours between farms, working without nearby referral hospitals, setting strict boundaries to avoid burnout, and carrying the weight of 24/7 responsibility.

In some regions, referral care may be 16 hours away, meaning the local veterinarian must decide: treat, stabilize, or humanely euthanize.

Rural equine medicine isn’t just a career; it’s a commitment to community, resilience, and showing up when no one else can.

👇 Did these numbers surprise you? Share your thoughts or tag a rural vet who deserves recognition.

Read the full article via the link in the comments.

03/28/2026

There’s going to be high winds this weekend and dust and debris will be flying. I’ve already seen two eye cases this weekend and it hasn’t even started. Get those fly masks on and check the eyes at least once a day.

Remember: Eyes = Emergencies

Also, Proper Preparation Prevents Painful Pupils! 👁️ 👁️

03/11/2026

🚨 Treasure Coast Horse Owners — A Quick Heads Up for This Weekend 🚨

This weekend, many of our local equine veterinarians — including me — will be out of town.

Don’t panic! Most of us will still be available by phone to help guide you, triage situations, and advise next steps if an emergency arises. 📞

However, please be prepared to haul your horse to a clinic if needed, such as Palm Beach Equine in Wellington. Having a plan ahead of time can make all the difference in an emergency.

💡 Community Help Needed
If you are willing to help haul a horse for someone in an emergency, please drop your information in the comments below so owners have resources available.

Please include:
• 📍 Your town / area
• ⏰ Hours you may be available
• 🐎 Ramp load or step-up trailer
• 📱 Best phone number

Horse community helping horse community. ❤️

⚠️ A few simple ways to reduce emergency risk this weekend:

• Do NOT make changes to your horse’s feed or routine
• Hold off on deworming for now
• If possible, avoid vaccinating Friday afternoon
• Make sure horses are drinking well 💧
• Monitor normal manure production 💩
• Clip very hairy horses if heat could be an issue ✂️

Preparation + communication = the best way to keep everyone safe this weekend.

Thank you to everyone willing to lend a hand if needed.

03/08/2026

Wicked hot this week. Already getting dehydrated horse calls.

Clip your woolies asap! Tons of great clippers in the area that can help if you don’t have time.

Watch water intake and manure production - act fast!

Keep your oldies and non-sweaters inside under fans during the day.

This does not bode well for summer! 🤬🤬🤬🥵🥵🥵

02/19/2026

PSA for Horse Owners 🐴📞

Please always leave a voicemail or send a text when you contact your veterinarian — and follow the instructions on the voicemail if provided.

Please don’t call and hang up if we don’t answer.

Equine veterinarians are often extremely busy and may be:
• In the middle of an exam
• Speaking with another client
• Handling an emergency
• Driving between farms
• Restocking trucks and supplies
• Completing medical records or ordering medications

Many equine vets are working alone, without a technician or office staff to answer calls.

After hours, veterinarians may be with their families and trying to get a small amount of much-needed rest — while still remaining available for true emergencies.

We absolutely understand that emergencies feel urgent. However, we still have to screen calls to determine which situations are critical and which can safely wait until the next day.

And to be honest:
More than half of after-hours calls are not true emergencies.
Even as an emergency-only veterinarian, I still receive many non-emergency questions overnight.

📌 The best way to reach us is to leave a message or text with details. That helps us respond as quickly and appropriately as possible.

If you haven’t heard back within a reasonable amount of time, it is completely okay to call again.

Thank you for understanding and for helping us help your horses. 💙

02/16/2026

Holy Hannah it’s hot out there!

Despite the cooler temps at night, we are having a HEAT WAVE!

Please watch your wooly mammoths for heat stress. Fast breathing, lethargy, dullness - get them in and under fans and hose them off fast!

Please consider clipping or trace clipping your thick coated horses. They will THANK YOU!

Clippers! Post here!

02/04/2026

🇺🇸🐴🏈 SUPER BOWL SQUARES FOR THE HORSES 🏈🐴🇺🇸

We’re kicking off Super Bowl Squares to support The Liberty Barn - Horse and Farm Animal Rescue and Sanctuary!

✨ $25 per square
✨ 50% of each board goes directly to the rescue
✨ 50% paid out to winners during the game

🏆 Payouts per board:
• End of 1st Quarter – $250
• Halftime – $375
• End of 3rd Quarter – $250
• Final Score – $375

🎉 You can win more than once!

📌 Numbers are drawn once each board is full.

Comment below or message us to claim your square(s)!

Every square helps feed and care for rescued horses 🐎💙

Zelle: [email protected]
Venmo:
PayPal: [email protected]
Checks and cash also accepted.

🚨🔔Note that there are scammers on the pay apps - please see the QR code pics to verify you are sending to the correct account. Scammers will add an extra letter or symbol to quietly copy our accounts. If you’re not sure, send me a screenshot of the account you are paying and I can confirm. 🔔🚨

Let’s help the horses and farm animals of The Liberty Barn!

Please tag friends and share!